November 11 general strike in Spain, Campo union prepares to mobilise

Spanish trade union Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) is drawing up an action plan to mobilise across the Campo de Gibraltar as it and other unions agreed to hold a general strike on November 11. 

The countrywide walkouts aim to highlight rising housing costs, inflation, wage stagnation and lack of investment in public services. 

The secretary general for the CCOO in Cádiz, Inmaculada Ortega, attended a meeting of the union’s regional council where an action plan was devised for the coming weeks. 

Ms Ortega stressed the relevance of the strike action for the Campo area, where she said property speculation, rising prices and employers’ reluctance to increase wages through collective agreements were particularly significant issues. 

“Support for our public services will also play a central role in the demands of the trade union movement during this general strike, in a mobilisation in which the working class will make its demands and aspirations clear,” she said, and described the industrial action as an act of “self-defence.” 

Housing affordability has been a particular focus for CCOO Cádiz, having published a report earlier this month entitled El día 18 ya no queda un duro (There’s no money left by the 18th) examining the impact of housing costs on employees’ incomes. 

The research found that a person earning the national minimum wage through full-time employment spends 78.7% of their net salary on housing and utilities. 

In some part-time employment scenarios, these expenses can exceed total monthly income, according to the study. 

Access to housing was fundamental to ensuring decent living conditions, Ms Ortega said. 

“Defending decent work also means defending the right to live in our neighbourhoods and municipalities without the price of housing driving out those who keep them alive through their work,” she said. 

CCOO Campo de Gibraltar general secretary Manuel Triano focused on the particular characteristics of the area’s economy and the measures needed to ensure that the strike is respected. 

He also highlighted the importance of coordination between trade unions and social organisations that have announced their support for the action. 

According to the union, their aim is to mobilise workplaces, towns and neighbourhoods throughout the Campo de Gibraltar. 

Mr Triano said the CCOO would use its available resources to help secure participation in the strike. 

“On November 11, the Campo de Gibraltar will be a benchmark for the mobilisation of working people in defence of their rights and aspirations, and the CCOO will do everything within its reach to ensure the success of the general strike,” he said.